OnePlus 10 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Pixel 6 Pro: Camera Comparison
Disclaimer:
The OnePlus 10 Pro that we have is a Chinese version. This year, OnePlus launched the 10 Pro first in China and the global release is yet to happen and that international model might be different.
The ultra-wide camera is particularly interesting. Last year’s 9 Pro had an industry leading ultra-wide camera, but this new 10 Pro uses a much smaller physical sensor that instead focuses on capturing a super-wide, 150 degree field of view. But while that's cool, a smaller sensor usually comes with a compromise in quality.
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OnePlus 10 Pro Camera Specs Comparison
| OnePlus 10 Pro | iPhone 13 Pro Max | Google Pixel 6 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main (wide) camera | 48MP, 23mm, f/1.8, OIS 1/1.43" sensor | 12MP, 26mm, f/1.5, Sensor-shift stabilization 1/1.65" sensor | 50MP, 26mm, f/1.85, OIS *new Samsung GN1 1/1.31" sensor |
| Ultra-wide camera | 50MP, 14mm, f/2.2 1/2.76" sensor | 12MP, 0.5X (13mm), f/1.8 1/3.4" sensor | 12MP, 0.7X (18mm), f/2.2 1/2.86" sensor |
| Telephoto camera | 8MP, 3.3X zoom (77mm), f/2.4, OIS | 12MP, 3X zoom (77mm), f/2.8, OIS | 48MP, 4X zoom (104mm), f/3.5, OIS |
| Additional cameras | - | - | - |
| Front camera | 32MP | 12MP | 11MP |
That's a lot of numbers that can give you a headache, but the takeaway is simple: the main camera sensor on the OnePlus is a bit smaller than on the Pixel, but bigger than the iPhone. However, the iPhone has the fastest f/1.5 aperture to let in more light at night, so things kind of balance out between the three.
Main Camera
The main camera on the OnePlus offers a wide perspective which works well with landscapes and it provides a very good amount of detail, but you would notice that it aggressively lifts up the shadows and photos from it often look bright to the point of being overexposed. Colors are also often a bit on the bleak side, so photos tend to look a bit undercooked from the 10 Pro.
The iPhone and Pixel both offer more vibrant and impressive colors out of the gate, which is a look that most people would prefer.
The differences between the three during the day are not huge by any means, but we'd give the iPhone and Pixel an edge over the OnePlus as it is right now.
Ultra-wide Camera
The new ultra-wide camera sensor on the OnePlus 10 Pro is one of its highlights, but in order to use the full 150-degree view you have to open a special mode in settings, while shooting regularly within the main camera menu, the iPhone actually has a wider perspective.
The OnePlus goes a bit berserk with saturation in some photos with the ultra-wide, a contrast from the bleaker color reproduction with the main camera. Sometimes that works out good, sometimes it can be a bit too much, but at the end of the day, we wish it looked a bit more consistent.
Zoom Quality
The 3.3X zoom lens on the OnePlus is nothing to write home about, and you can see that once zoomed in, the camera has a problem blowing up highlights, which is done much better on the other two phones (the kitty fur is blown out on the OnePlus).
Still, the camera that stands out with zoom quality here is definitely the one on the Pixel. Its native periscope 4X zoom lens performs incredibly well, capturing beautiful colors with very little distortion. Even at 10X it delivers superb results.
Portrait Mode
However, the Pixel absolutely falls flat if you want to photograph people with Portrait mode.
Using the close-up portrait view, detail is completely missing on the Pixel! The OnePlus does a better job, but it also has some issues with skin tones, notice the pink color of the skin and the lack of detail in the face, and we have to give the portrait mode round to the iPhone.
Selfies
You can choose between a wide and a close up view on the Pixel and iPhone, while the OnePlus only has one fixed field of view which is kind of a middle ground. That’s a bit of a limitation, and colors also appear a bit bleak on the OnePlus. The Pixel and iPhone definitely have the upper hand with front camera quality.
Night camera comparison
Finally, at night we see that the OnePlus does not seem to have an automatic "night mode" as the other two, and you are forced to have to manually switch to the separate night mode if you want to get brighter exposures.
We see the same problem with blown out highlights here as well, and overall the OnePlus feels like a big step down from the iPhone and especially the Pixel, which might take a bit longer to capture a night photo, but does so with incredible detail, clarity and dynamic range.
Conclusion
Well, it's a very good camera, but also we don't think it quite lives up to the high expectations. A $150 million dollar deal with Hasselblad, a phone one year in the making, and we certainly expected something with a bit more to show for itself.
We might sound a bit harsh to the OnePlus, but one does expect a bit more out of a company that aims for the camera throne. Finally, though, let's not forget that these photos came from the Chinese version of the 10 Pro, while the global model might be different. We'd have to wait for that, though, OnePlus has not announced it yet.
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